Press Release: 7/11/2025
Seven sea turtles return to the ocean after months of rehabilitation at the New England Aquarium
Seven sea turtles return to the ocean after months of rehabilitation at the New England Aquarium
Turtles released off Cape Cod into Nantucket Sound
Rehabilitated green sea turtle “Calliope” is released into Nantucket Sound on July 9, 2025CREDIT: New England Aquarium
BOSTON, MASS. (July 10, 2025) – Seven endangered and threatened sea turtles are back in the Atlantic Ocean after receiving months of rehabilitative care at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital.
**PHOTOS AND VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE, WITH CREDIT TO THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM**
The two Kemp’s ridley, two green, and three loggerhead sea turtles entered Nantucket Sound from West Dennis, MA, on Wednesday evening, as a small crowd of onlookers cheered them on.
“This is what we work toward all year—seeing these sea turtles healthy again after being on the brink of death—and it’s always gratifying when the public is so enthusiastic about this conservation work,” said Adam Kennedy, Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the Aquarium.
New England Aquarium President and CEO Vikki N. Spruill was on hand to release a Kemp’s ridley that she named “Demeter” in keeping with the Aquarium’s turtle-naming theme of Greek mythology. Demeter is primarily known as the Greek goddess of agriculture, harvest, and fertility, and Spruill said she loved the association with earth and the cycle of life.
“Our incredible team at the New England Aquarium treats hundreds of sick and injured sea turtles every year, and it’s truly special to witness this conservation success story here on the shores of Massachusetts,” Spruill said.
For the past six to eight months, staff at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA, treated the turtles for a variety of life-threatening medical conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma, after becoming “cold-stunned” and stranding on the shores of Cape Cod. From November to January, staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary walked the beaches looking for hypothermic turtles to rescue and transport to the Aquarium’s Quincy facility for treatment. The Aquarium treated 518 live sea turtles this past cold-stunning season. There are currently 18 turtles remaining in the Aquarium’s care, which will be released off Cape Cod this summer once medically cleared by staff veterinarians.
Four of the turtles released this week were satellite tagged for post-release monitoring, which will give scientists with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium the ability to collect valuable information about the turtles’ behavior, habitat use, and survivorship. Some of the turtles released this summer will be added to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker, including “Demeter,” for the public to follow their ocean journey.
Kemp’s ridleys are a critically endangered species, and loggerhead and green sea turtles are threatened; each species faces threats including fisheries interactions, climate change, ocean pollution, and degradation of their habitats. Rescue, rehabilitation, and research efforts help to conserve this species.
The turtles released on Wednesday included:
- “Chaos” (# 253) – Green sea turtle
- Stranded Nov. 29, 2024, in Wellfleet, MA
- “Calliope” (# 283) – Green sea turtle
- Stranded Nov. 30, 2024, in Nantucket, MA
- “Attis” (# 481) – Loggerhead sea turtle
- Stranded Dec. 3, 2024, in Brewster, MA
- “Ceto” (# 614) – Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
- Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Truro, MA
- “Demeter” (# 687) – Kemp’s ridley sea turtle
- Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Brewster, MA
- “Circe” (# 869) – Loggerhead sea turtle
- Stranded Dec. 24, 2024, in Provincetown, MA
- “Poseidon” (# 873) – Loggerhead sea turtle
- Stranded Dec. 24, 2024, in Truro, MA
MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org